Epilogue
by miseryxrevenant
Summary: Harley just couldn't take it anymore...


Batman entered the room slowly, edging his way in.  
He could feel it. Feel there was something wrong.

He sniffed the air.  
Blood.  
The stench of blood and sweat mingled in the air, clogging up the oxygen.  
He just knew that he wasn't going to like what he was going to find in this dank, cold, wet basement.  
He considered going back, all the way up the stairs, out the front door of the once popular Laugh-A-Minute joke store, into the batmobile and back to the manor.  
But he couldn't. Something in him stopped him.

Curiosity? Wonder?  
Or was it something deeper?

Compassion, perhaps?  
He edged further in. The stench got stronger.  
He covered his mouth with a gloved hand and closed his eyes tight.  
i Get a grip Bruce! /i a little voice in his head told him.  
Never before had he felt...felt... i fear /i ...like this.  
He knew he was going to find a body.  
Dead or alive, he didn't know.  
But he knew someone was in there.  
He knew u she /u was in there.  
He removed his hand from his mouth, took a deep breath, and opened his eyes.  
It didn't help much.  
There wasn't much light.  
He stepped fully into the basement.  
He froze at a small, muffled sound.  
It sounded like...laughing?

Or was it crying?  
He gulped.  
"Harley?"  
He noise stopped.  
He turned to face the furthest away wall.  
There was a small window, the basement window, near the ceiling.  
The only source of light.  
Or what little light the Gotham City streets could provide in days like this.  
He saw her. He saw the shape of her body, slumped against the wall on the floor.  
He could make out her arms moving, around her chest.  
"Harley...it's me."  
i D'uh /i , he thought.  
He stepped closer, the froze as he saw her features.  
Her normally sparkling clean harlequin outfit was soaked through with blood.  
Her head peice and mask were gone, and her golden blonde hair matted red.  
Batman stood, staring at her.

"Harley...what...what did he do?!"  
There was a rage in his voice. But also sadness.  
He grew puzzled as she shook her head.  
She lowered her arms.  
Batman knew what had happened.  
He looked around the floor, making out the shapes.  
He realised why she sounded muffled when he first entered the room.  
Lying by her on the floor, her toungue, freshly cut out, blood surrounding is sordid place on the floor.  
He looked up at her, and tried to meet her eyes.  
But he couldn't.   
All that was there was the empty sockets.  
He took a step closer, holding his breath.  
Yes. He had thought as much.

She had stitched her own ears to her head, to try and block out as much sound as she could.  
He jumped back as she raised her arms to her chest. He realised what she was doing when he saw the knife in her hands.  
"Harley...Dr. Quinzell...I'm...I'm...sorry..."  
He turned and left the room.  
He walked as quickly as he could up the stairs and to the Batmobile.  
The car was parked in the alleyway.  
Just as well.  
Batman pulled off his cowl and heaved as much as his stomach could hold.  
Once he had vomited as much as he felt he had within his stomach, he sat in his car.  
He knew there were tears dripping down his cheeks. But he didn't bother to wipe them away.  
His cowl would cover his face once Comissioner Gordon got here.  
He had also sent a message to Robin, to get him here as soon as possible.  
He knew he couldn't drive home himself.

"Dear Lord", Gordon said, as the coroners put the body into the back of the van.  
"You do realise what she's done, don't you Jim?" Batman asked, in a barely audible whisper.  
Comissioner Gordon looked at him.  
He had arrived only ten minutes before. He had barely looked at the body. First sight and he threw up.  
Robin had arrived soon after. He had refused to look.  
He now stood close by Batman.  
He felt confused. He could sense something from his mentor.   
Sadness?  
"After tonights heist," Batman began, "The Joker, yet again, tossed Harley aside. I was on his trail when I watched thier van crash into MacGregors Bakers, next to the Laugh-A-Minute store. He blamed her, as usual. But this time she didn't follow him after he threw her away."  
"She came here?" Robin asked.  
"Yes", He took a deep breath, "I think she couldn't take anymore. By the time I got here she had sewn her own ears closed...so she would never have to hear his laughter again."

"And cut out her tongue so she wouldn't speak of him again." Gordon said, understanding in his voice.  
"And clawed out her own eyes so she would never see hin again." Robin added.

Batman nodded and sighed.  
"When I got here, she was cutting open her chest."

"Why?" Gordon asked.  
"So she would never love him again."

They all stood in silence.  
It began to rain.  
"I think you should go," Gordon said, patting Batmans shoulder.  
Robin nodded and guided Batman to the Batmobile...passenger seat.  
They never spoke of the nighst events all the way home.  
Batman...Bruce Wayne, knew he would never be able to speak of it again. 


End file.
